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Strawberry Avocado Kale Salad

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED June 6, 2020 · Leave a Comment

A Strawberry Avocado Kale Salad is easy to make and is a delicious addition to spring or summer dinners. The refreshing flavors and homemade salad dressing will have everyone filling their plates again.

Here I go again, making salad for the thousandth time this week. Ok, ok, so yes, that's a huge embellishment of the true facts. We have probably only eaten salad 4 times this week.

But I'm starting to get a little bit tired of the green stuff. So, I had to add different toppings and drizzle it with this Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing to trick myself into thinking that salad was amazing again.

And you know what? It totally worked. The flavor combo of fresh strawberries, creamy avocados, and almonds really works well together....

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED June 4, 2020 · 2 Comments

Add a drizzle of this Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing to your summer salads. The homemade salad dressing made with fresh strawberries will have your taste buds singing.

So, at the moment I am totally obsessed with making and eating salad for dinner. Usually I get bored and tired of salads after the second day.

But I have found the key to enjoying and even craving salad is to change it up. Last week we had this Blueberry Apple Spinach Salad for a few days, and then I moved onto strawberries and kale.

Of course, that meant I got the opportunity to create a new salad dressing to go with it too. ...

White Chocolate Berry Pudding Cake

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED June 2, 2020 · UPDATED June 25, 2021 · 4 Comments

Pockets of pudding and fresh berries make this easy White Chocolate Berry Pudding Cake a delicious and sweet treat. It's the perfect dessert for a picnic or party on a hot summer day!

It's hard to believe that I have been blogging for so many years. Some days it feels like I just started, and then other days it feels like it's been forever. I have seen so many different changes in how things are done online over the years.

Social media has definitely evolved the most over the past few years. There are so many things that you have to do now in order to have your recipes and stories seen by anyone. Of course, there is just no way to keep up with all of it as a one person business. So, I pick and choose my favorite medias and let the others slide.

I get two questions about blogging all the time. Do you still enjoy writing stories and how do you keep coming up with new recipes? The answer is yes, and I can't stop thinking of new things to make. ...

Marshmallow Blondies

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 30, 2020 · 58 Comments

Trust me and make a pan of these Marshmallow Blondies with Reese's for dessert right away. The gooey marshmallow pockets and Reese's Pieces will make every single bar disappear in a hurry.

Four squares of peanut butter blondies stacked up on a white board with Reese's Pieces scattered around it

The first time I made these Reese's peanut butter blondies was years ago for a family get-together. As soon as they cooled and I cut them, the pan was empty in 5 minutes flat.

I wish I had videoed everyone hovering around just waiting for that first cut. It was madness trying to get a square!!! There was no way I could photograph them then.

Everyone raved about these bars and wanted the recipe, so I couldn't wait to share it here, too. I knew this recipe would be a winner because of how much you guys love these Reese's Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies.

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Blueberry Spinach Salad

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 28, 2020 · 1 Comment

The fresh fruit and greens in this easy Blueberry Spinach Salad will have you requesting salad for dinner all week long. This light and refreshing spinach salad is loaded with fresh fruit and drizzled with a homemade blueberry dressing. What are you waiting for?

Say hello to my new favorite summer salad! I cannot get enough of this amazing green salad. In fact, I'm pretty sure I had it four times last week. Yes, it's that good.

Especially when you drizzle it with the creamy blueberry balsamic dressing that I shared with you yesterday.

Can I be honest? I used to think salads were boring, AND I used to think that fruit with greens was crazy. ...

Creamy Blueberry Balsamic Salad Dressing

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 27, 2020 · 4 Comments

Enjoy this Creamy Blueberry Balsamic Salad Dressing on your salads all summer long. This homemade salad dressing recipe is easy to make and is loaded with blueberry goodness.

A few weeks ago our kids were all about eating lots of fresh fruit. We couldn't buy it fast enough. It seemed like as soon as we bought a box or two, the fruit would disappear right away.

Then last week we bought a few more boxes, and they just sat there. I guess the kids are over fruit for right now.

Before the blueberries went bad, I decided to get creative and make a spinach salad with a homemade blueberry salad dressing for dinner. It is officially my new favorite summer salad!!! ...

Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 22, 2020 · UPDATED May 29, 2022 · 6 Comments

A mug of this Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe is the ultimate treat to enjoy on a hot summer day! This sweet Dunkin copycat is easier and better than any coffee shop version. Use a salted caramel hot chocolate and coffee to give it a fun flavor.

Two glasses of Frozen Hot Chocolate with red straws and chocolate and caramel drizzles on top.

Hello, chocolate goodness! Frozen hot chocolate has become one of our new favorite summer drinks when it is blazing hot outside.

A few weeks ago my daughter and I went to Dunkin' Donuts for an iced coffee. She saw the frozen hot chocolate poster on the window and decided to try that instead.

One sip and she was instantly a fan of that sweet frozen drink. Instead of driving to the store and spending money all the time, I decided to show our girl how easy it is to make a copycat frozen hot chocolate at home.

Why This Works

You can also customize the flavors when you make it in your own kitchen. I made a plain frozen hot chocolate for my daughter and a fun jazzed up version for me. This salted caramel mocha was the inspiration for my drink.

Leftover coffee, some salted caramel coffee creamer, and a salted caramel hot chocolate packet made this the most amazing drink. It was so good.

Imagine a milkshake, slushie, and frosty all in one glass with a sweet and salty flavor!

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4th of July Cookies

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 21, 2020 · UPDATED July 3, 2021 · 43 Comments

Add a plate of these fun-colored 4th of July Cookies to your holiday plans. Sprinkles and red, white, and blue M&Ms will make these soft and puffy fireworks cookies disappear in a hurry.

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Fireworks Cookies

Cookies are a treat I like to keep on hand all the time for our hungry kiddos. So, I wanted to make another version of our popular cookies and cream cookies for a Fourth of July dessert this year.

We always have a few boxes of cake mix in our pantry, just in case we need to make a quick cake or cupcakes. However, most of the time, those cake mixes turn into cookies because they are so easy to mix up.

The bag of red, white, and blue M&M's and star sprinkles in the pantry were just the way to make these cake mix cookies a little more festive for Independence Day. The extra sprinkles on top gave them a fun and colorful fireworks look.

I love how every cookie looks different but has the same awesome taste. To change things up in these cookies and cream cookies, we used chocolate cream-filled Oreo cookies. Honestly, you can use any cream-filled cookie in this recipe.

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S'mores Popcorn

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 19, 2020 · 30 Comments

A bowl of this sweet and salty S'mores Popcorn makes a great snack to enjoy while watching TV with your family. Candy bars, marshmallows, and Golden Grahams make this chocolate covered popcorn so delicious.

A red bowl on a blue and white checkered towel filled with lots of S'mores Popcorn

The post for S'mores Popcorn was first published in June 2012. The photos were updated in August 2017, and the post was updated and republished in May 2020.

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We have a rower in our garage gym that I have been reluctantly using. I say reluctantly because with all the sweets that keep pouring out of my kitchen, I need the exercise more than ever now.

I work out, then I eat Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies for lunch. The next day I work out, then I eat Blueberry Jelly Donut Holes for a snack. See how vicious the cycle is?

I think the extra snacks are my downfall because the numbers on the scale aren't moving. All this working out is only keeping me at the same weight.

My dang sweet tooth is sabotaging all my efforts to fit back into last summer's shorts.

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Peanut Butter S'mores Blondies

By Jocelyn · PUBLISHED May 18, 2020 · 27 Comments

The swirls of marshmallow cream and fudge topping inside these Peanut Butter S'mores Blondies will satisfy all your chocolate and peanut butter dreams. Great blonde brownie recipe to make for summer picnics and parties.

I wish that I could FORGET about my peanut butter and chocolate love affair!!! I have a food confession for you! (hangs head in shame)

The other night I was working on editing some new photos when I heard the leftover Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in the fridge calling out to me in a sweet sing songy voice. "Please come dip a spoon into my yummy, chocolatey goodness!"

What? You have never had chocolate frosting talk to you???? I'm guessing you've never heard from Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookies either. I'm probably the strange one here.

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